Behind the Scenes at Mpix - Color Correction by Matt Miller

Here at Zenfolio, we want to give our customers the best, which is why we have a special partnership with Mpix, a division of Miller's Professional Imaging.Mpix is an online digital imaging lab for both the professional photographer and the advanced amateur. This lab provides uncompromising quality of prints and services and is the top choice for professional work and photos requiring the absolute best in digital printing. Mpix has decided to open their doors and start a mini-blog series on what goes on behind the scenes.

Behind
the Scenes at Mpix – Color Correction

Welcome to an inside look at Mpix. Today we want to let you inside
our doors to take a look at color correction. What is color correction, and how
does it benefit you as a photographer?

What is Color
Correction?

Color correction is a term used to describe the process your image goes through
before being printed in our lab. When an image is ordered, our trained color
technicians review the image on calibrated monitors in a dark room to ensure
the color and density of the image look as best as possible. Here they will
make any adjustments needed to the image before it becomes a print.

Our technicians are not entry-level hires, but persons with
upwards of 20 years experience in color adjustment. In fact, most of the color
technicians working in Mpix today got their start working with film at our
parent company, Miller’s Professional Imaging! Each color technician undergoes
color testing before being hired for the position, and that testing and
training continues even after the fact.

When an image is color corrected, our technician looks at
every image on their monitor, checking the density, cyan, magenta and yellow
levels. These levels can be adjusted individually, bringing the image as close
as possible to our industry-standard “guide print.” This guide print comes in
every Mpix calibration kit and is our in-lab standard to which color is held.

Each image is hand corrected by an individual. We do not
auto-correct or set a base correction for an order. Every image in your order
is as important to our employees as it is to you and your customer.

Another cool fact: Our monitors and printers are calibrated
every two hours to maintain consistency and accuracy throughout the color
correction process.

Why is Color
Correction right for me?

For most photographers, color correction is an insurance policy against
color variances. By allowing us to color correct your images, you receive a
guarantee that you will be happy with the color of your prints.

As the digital revolution grows and more photographers sell
the reprint rights to their images, it becomes equally important to trust your
lab. When your end-client makes a print of your image, you want the print to
match your standards - this is where Mpix color correction and overall quality
come in to play. By turning on the color correction option, you can rest easy
knowing that the prints your customer receives will be perfect.

For those who prefer to do their own color adjustments, we
do offer a “do not color correct” option. We cannot recommend this enough: If
you choose to turn off the color correction feature, please make sure you have
calibrated your monitor to match our settings (more on that below).

Color Correction Tips

- Make sure your images are in sRGB color space.
- Laptop screens are impossible to calibrate. Try using a CRT or desktop
monitor for viewing.
- Stay away from the light! Ambient light can severely alter how your on-screen
images look.- If you are familiar with color calibration and would like to soft-proof your images, you can download and install paper specific profiles here.
- Mpix does offer a calibration kit for only $3.00 if you
prefer to adjust your own images.